Gear set up

Hello Scubaboard,
I'm a fairly new diver, been certified for just shy of 1 year but have been wide open when it comes to diving. I've logged over 50 dives the last 10 months, and have really started to fall in love with overhead. I have all of my own gear (minus tanks) but I am now starting to get more cave/tech oriented gear. I just purchased an OMS comfort II harness with aluminum back plate, a 60lb lift dual bladder OMS wing, a set of OMS Slipstream fins and an Apex Tek 3 reg. However, I am having a hell of a time getting this new BCD to fit me right and I"m not too sure on how to route the inflator hoses to get them over the shoulder and through the Velcro hose guides on the harness. It's a lot different than just throwing on my BARE Voodoo BCD and jumping off the boat! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Jake

from the looks on the OMS web page - you could remove the left upper D-ring and lower the velcro deflater hose a bit. there is a lot going on with that harness from the pictures (i have never seen on in person)
the hose should route beside the inflate hose for the BC on the left. (its ok to have it short if you need to use it yank on it, hit the button and it'll work. Use bicycle tubes (2) to keep the LP hose tight to the corregated hose.

On the right it should be the same but, honestly i ignorant of the dual bladder BC rigging. If your diving single tank that's a big one and there is a lot more to manage on it.

My halcyon's (infinity for singles, and evolve for doubles) only has a single inflator and is rigged the same for both. the keeper band is right above the inflator connection. its nice and tight, to use litterally pull it out and purge (but you should use your rear dump first, if your in trim, i typically never use the hose inflator to purge air from my BC )
Or you can ditch the velcro and just use an inner tube or a peice of bungie to secure the inflator(s), after you remove the top D-rings from the shoulder straps (they are not really needed IMHO).

Fit for a BP is detailed here
Halcyon - Fitting the backplate and harness

use triglides to lock off the harness when you get it fit - it should be realitively tight on the shoulders or else its going to flop around. using triglides gives you a consistant fit once its where you want it. that Harness looks like it has Quick releases as well which you can use to get in or off. Be careful about dropping tanks on them. they break (that is the only time i have seen QR's break, btw) .

Enjoy and dive safe.

Before you go wasting any more money than you already have...

1. Real tech divers avoid OMS. Friends don't let friends buy anythng OMS. The whole OMS philosophy is obtuse and that is reflected in their gear. Like dual-bladder 60 pound wings. Ditch the OMS stuff.

2. A 60 pound wing is far too much lift even for double steel 130s. Get rid of the 60 pound wing and stick with a bladder for single tanks until you get some help figuring out what you really need.

3. Get hooked up with a mainstream tech dive instructor. It's not too soon to learn to dive double banded cylinders to get used to doubles. Your instructor will help guide you through gear choices, set-up and diving with doubles. If your instructor is using OMS gear, run away as fast as possible.

4. Congrats on getting 50 dives in 10 months. When you are getting more like 100 dives annually, then you can start thinking in earnest about starting tech diving. You can work towards that goal diving with doubles. By the time you start tech diving you will comfortable in doubles and comfortable with the tech diving gear configuration.

5. How can you make a small fortune in tech diving? Start with a very large fortune.

Good luck

Rlynch, thanks for the input! It's appreciated.

Anyone else, before posting please read the initial post. I was asking for help on setting up the gear I have, not for a opinionated brand bashing. If you have some good advice for set up, than thank you tons for the help, if you have an opinion that isn't going to help me setting up my rig at all, keep it to yourself please. Thank you, hope everyone is enjoying there weekend!

Jake

Jake,

can you post a picture of what you're trying at the moment? Are trying to get the right hand inflator (when wearing) through the harness?

As for Double Bladders: Ignore most of what is posted on the internet, you dive in the sea not the web. Several top name instructors swear by using a double bladder even when wearing a drysuit.
OMS is fine as a brand. I used it for my Advanced Nitrox courses. It's kit that works, some guys have taken that same kit passed 300m. Personally I prefer the Apeks WTX kit, but I find no faults with OMS, Dive Rite et al. The fact is that you have made the investment with this kit and you can quite easily use it to dive to any level.

Yes sir, I can't figure out how to get the inflators into any sort of useable possition. Here is a picture of my set up as it sits right now...



Thanks for your help!

Yep it's what I thought.

The Right inflator is your backup inflator. It's not ideally place in the right inflator tamer. The important thing when diving is to make sure that it is secured out of the way; so as not to create and entanglement hazard, but is also easy to deploy in an emergency. You can bungee it lightly to the twinset, or simply tuck it between the bladder and Cylinder.

When using a double bladder it's important to fully inflate & deflate the bladder prior to diving, to make sure it is working properly. The last thing you want is to go to use it and find out it's encrusted with salt! When diving make sure it has been fully deflated else it will play havoc in the shallow stops. I recommend either holding both inflators up (and deflating) on descent or simply suck and excess out of the back-up bladder.

As for the right velcro loop. You can secure a spare light in it. Simply bolt snap to a D-ring and slide up into the velcro loop.

I know of only 2 people that have dived to 300m an returned. None of them used OMS to my knowledge.

the wart:

Jake,

can you post a picture of what you're trying at the moment? Are trying to get the right hand inflator (when wearing) through the harness?

As for Double Bladders: Ignore most of what is posted on the internet, you dive in the sea not the web. Several top name instructors swear by using a double bladder even when wearing a drysuit.
OMS is fine as a brand. I used it for my Advanced Nitrox courses. It's kit that works, some guys have taken that same kit passed 300m. Personally I prefer the Apeks WTX kit, but I find no faults with OMS, Dive Rite et al. The fact is that you have made the investment with this kit and you can quite easily use it to dive to any level.

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@OP Every piece of kit have pros and cons. Stick to your choice and find an instructor that is like-minded.

Jake, its not a bashing at all. Its real advice from folks that have done some real tech diving. One of the first things you're going to need to do is listen to those who have gone before you and have experience. Even if that means re-evaluating your equipment purchases.

"Opinion" here matters a lot. There are some serious drawbacks to some of the gear you described, and no one here wants you to make bad/uninformed decisions.

I live in Orlando, too. I'd be glad to hop in the pool with you and show you some things about the equipment you're going to need to pursue cave/ technical diving.

onelongendo:

Rlynch, thanks for the input! It's appreciated.

Anyone else, before posting please read the initial post. I was asking for help on setting up the gear I have, not for a opinionated brand bashing. If you have some good advice for set up, than thank you tons for the help, if you have an opinion that isn't going to help me setting up my rig at all, keep it to yourself please. Thank you, hope everyone is enjoying there weekend!

Jake

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That's okay, it's his money that he's wasting, not mine.

Sometimes the best solution for a problem is to start from scratch, because some things just can't be fixed.